@RubyLeaf It's all a question of pollination if the male and female flowers don't open at the same time or the females miss pollination there are no insects on that day can be a bit hit and miss I'm afraid.
Having more than one plant helps, it's to late now but another time you can try to hand-pollinate plants yourself by removing a male flower (no swelling at their base) and brushing the central parts against the centre of a female flower (female flowers have a swelling at the base – this is the beginning of the fruit).
The four pumpkins I have grown in the past are:
‘Atlantic Giant’ A large pumpkin for pies, shows, and as a giant vegetable.
Jack Be Little A Mini-pumpkins that can be held in one hand lots of fruit and ornamental.
‘Rouge Vif d’Etamps’ Ribbed skin and moist orange flesh is vigorous and trailing.
‘Becky’ A orange Halloween pumpkin perfect for carving high yielding.
If you want to store carve or show pumpkin cut them from the stem about a week before and leave them in the sun if possible or a dry airy shed turning occasionally so the skin can harden.
"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
@stefanie williams depends when they went in as small sugar can be harvested any time from now till December they have high sugar and less water content compared to other pumpkins so known as pie pumpkins, you can find loads of recipes on the web for these.
As for the flower drop just water and feed with a high potash content. seaweed, tomato. If the stem has been damaged as you say it could be that the plants just not taking up enough feed
"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
@RubyLeaf It's all a question of pollination if the male and female flowers don't open at the same time or the females miss pollination there are no insects on that day can be a bit hit and miss I'm afraid.
Having more than one plant helps, it's to late now but another time you can try to hand-pollinate plants yourself by removing a male flower (no swelling at their base) and brushing the central parts against the centre of a female flower (female flowers have a swelling at the base – this is the beginning of the fruit).
The four pumpkins I have grown in the past are:
‘Atlantic Giant’ A large pumpkin for pies, shows, and as a giant vegetable.
Jack Be Little A Mini-pumpkins that can be held in one hand lots of fruit and ornamental.
‘Rouge Vif d’Etamps’ Ribbed skin and moist orange flesh is vigorous and trailing.
‘Becky’ A orange Halloween pumpkin perfect for carving high yielding.
If you want to store carve or show pumpkin cut them from the stem about a week before and leave them in the sun if possible or a dry airy shed turning occasionally so the skin can harden.
I swear I've only seen one other female flower which seems to have not of even bloomed. I should of payed more attention.
Either way I'm happy, because its my first pumpkin! I can't wait to make it into a pie.
I thought I would add this a simple soup recipe that I think is delicious
Pumpkin Soup.
A 1.5kg pumpkin
750g of potatoes
2 leeks trimmed and sliced
1lt chicken or vegetable
stock
¼ tsp of grated nutmeg if you
like
Salt and black pepper
300ml single cream
100g butter
Cut flesh off and de seed the
pumpkin cut roughly into 2cm chunks
Peel potatoes and cut into
roughly 2cm chunks
Melt 100g of butter in a
large pan sauté the leeks gently with the lid on until soft
Add stock Pumpkin, potatoes,
nutmeg and season bring to boil then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until
vegetables are very soft.
Puree the soup in a blender or
food processor until smooth.
Return to pan warm and stir in the cream.
Then enjoy with warm chunks
of crusty bread and butter!
Once cool if you have any
left! You can keep it in the fridge for about three or four days or freeze it in
batches. (Allow to defrost before reheating)
"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
I thought I would add this a simple soup recipe that I think is delicious
Pumpkin Soup.
A 1.5kg pumpkin
750g of potatoes
2 leeks trimmed and sliced
1lt chicken or vegetable
stock
¼ tsp of grated nutmeg if you
like
Salt and black pepper
300ml single cream
100g butter
Cut flesh off and de seed the
pumpkin cut roughly into 2cm chunks
Peel potatoes and cut into
roughly 2cm chunks
Melt 100g of butter in a
large pan sauté the leeks gently with the lid on until soft
Add stock Pumpkin, potatoes,
nutmeg and season bring to boil then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until
vegetables are very soft.
Puree the soup in a blender or
food processor until smooth.
Return to pan warm and stir in the cream.
Then enjoy with warm chunks
of crusty bread and butter!
Once cool if you have any
left! You can keep it in the fridge for about three or four days or freeze it in
batches. (Allow to defrost before reheating)
That sounds delicious! Why must you temp me so?! I've only got enough for either a pie or soup!
I thought I would add this a simple soup recipe that I think is delicious
Pumpkin Soup.
A 1.5kg pumpkin
750g of potatoes
2 leeks trimmed and sliced
1lt chicken or vegetable
stock
¼ tsp of grated nutmeg if you
like
Salt and black pepper
300ml single cream
100g butter
Cut flesh off and de seed the
pumpkin cut roughly into 2cm chunks
Peel potatoes and cut into
roughly 2cm chunks
Melt 100g of butter in a
large pan sauté the leeks gently with the lid on until soft
Add stock Pumpkin, potatoes,
nutmeg and season bring to boil then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until
vegetables are very soft.
Puree the soup in a blender or
food processor until smooth.
Return to pan warm and stir in the cream.
Then enjoy with warm chunks
of crusty bread and butter!
Once cool if you have any
left! You can keep it in the fridge for about three or four days or freeze it in
batches. (Allow to defrost before reheating)
Mmm... thank you - will definitely give that one a go!!!
MagicMarigold - pumpkins are an autumn cropping plant that need time to mature in size and flavour, unlike summer squashes such as courgettes which are best eaten small.
Keep your plant watered, feed it some tomato fertiliser or seaweed extract to help ripen the fruit and improve flavour and put the fruits up in the sun. You could also remove the stems beyond the last of the fruits so the plant concentrates energy on existing pumpkins.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
Having more than one plant helps, it's to late now but another time you can try to hand-pollinate plants yourself by removing a male flower (no swelling at their base) and brushing the central parts against the centre of a female flower (female flowers have a swelling at the base – this is the beginning of the fruit).
The four pumpkins I have grown in the past are:
‘Atlantic Giant’ A large pumpkin for pies, shows, and as a giant vegetable.
Jack Be Little A Mini-pumpkins that can be held in one hand lots of fruit and ornamental.
‘Rouge Vif d’Etamps’ Ribbed skin and moist orange flesh is vigorous and trailing.
‘Becky’ A orange Halloween pumpkin perfect for carving high yielding.
If you want to store carve or show pumpkin cut them from the stem about a week before and leave them in the sun if possible or a dry airy shed turning occasionally so the skin can harden.
As for the flower drop just water and feed with a high potash content. seaweed, tomato. If the stem has been damaged as you say it could be that the plants just not taking up enough feed
Either way I'm happy, because its my first pumpkin! I can't wait to make it into a pie.
Pumpkin Soup.
A 1.5kg pumpkin
750g of potatoes
2 leeks trimmed and sliced
1lt chicken or vegetable stock
¼ tsp of grated nutmeg if you like
Salt and black pepper
300ml single cream
100g butter
Cut flesh off and de seed the pumpkin cut roughly into 2cm chunks
Peel potatoes and cut into roughly 2cm chunks
Melt 100g of butter in a large pan sauté the leeks gently with the lid on until soft
Add stock Pumpkin, potatoes, nutmeg and season bring to boil then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.
Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Return to pan warm and stir in the cream.
Then enjoy with warm chunks of crusty bread and butter!
Once cool if you have any left! You can keep it in the fridge for about three or four days or freeze it in batches. (Allow to defrost before reheating)
Keep your plant watered, feed it some tomato fertiliser or seaweed extract to help ripen the fruit and improve flavour and put the fruits up in the sun. You could also remove the stems beyond the last of the fruits so the plant concentrates energy on existing pumpkins.